At one point in my life, marriage seemed like a wonderful thing. Then, it seemed quite a disastrous idea. And now, I’m back to it being more wonderful than disastrous.
Initially, I thought marriage would be about how Christchanna always agreed with me. But the disaster is when I found out she thought it was about how I would always agree with her. Let’s just say we didn’t always agree on that. And now?
What has changed now is understanding Galatians 2:20. Take your time to read through this verse thoughtfully:
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
As a believer in Jesus Christ, I am united with Jesus Christ. He lives in me. I live in obedience and submission to Him.
In the context of Galatians 2, Paul places this verse in connection with salvation. Being united with Christ is a positive consequence of salvation. To be saved is to be one with Christ; to live on my own means I am not a Christian.
The last part of Galatians 2:20 is crucial for this. We are prone to being very proud, selfish, and independent. We do not put on humility quickly, easily, or quietly. So, Paul reminds you that Jesus loved you to the point of giving Himself up for you. The cost to Jesus for you being united with Him was His death; the cost to you for being united with Jesus is being obedient.
Back to my marriage then. No longer am I trying to wrestle my marriage to be about what I want. If my whole life is about being united with Christ and obeying Him, then that includes my marriage. My relationship with Christchanna is deeply connected to my relationship with Jesus. I love her as I obey Him. I serve her as I serve Him. I am united with Christ, and Jesus lives in me; which means, I no longer live to please myself, but I live to please Jesus!